March 1 – Zero Discrimination Day

Today
has been declared to be a day to talk about and fight discrimination
by the UNAIDS organization.

What
is discrimination?

It
is unfair treatment on the grounds of race, age, sex, or other
“category.”

Some
of the other words we use for this kind of thing is prejudice,
bias, bigotry, intolerance, inequity.

Discrimination
is everything from not getting a job that you are best qualified for
because you are too young, too old, too dark, too female, etc., to
being punished more harshly than other rule breakers because a
teacher or principal has an unconscious bias against boys, or against
boys with long hair, or against African-American kids, etc.

In
the U.S. today, as a whole, some of the people who seem to face the
most discrimination include atheists, illegal aliens (even those who
were brought into the nation as babies), and transgender people. But
women, people of color, and homosexuals – all of whom have a long
history of facing prejudice – still face substantial
discrimination, even today.

Of course, given that this day was created by an United Nations organization that fights AIDS, it is also about zero discrimination against people who are HIV positive (people who test positive for the AIDS virus). And it is about zero discrimination against other victims of other diseases. And against people with disabilities.

People who have diseases and disabilities often face myths and half-truths about the particular disease or disability, and they often face discrimination from people who are scared of the unknown.

But
things are getting better. We can do better. You can make a
difference. You can be the change you want to see!

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This site is designed to be a source of interesting articles for kids and a resource for teachers and parents (especially homeschool teacher/parents!). From world holidays to historical anniversaries, Every Day Is Special celebrates each and every day.